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Heartbeat City
}} | rev2 = Robert Christgau | rev2Score = B+ | rev3 = Rolling Stone | rev3Score = }} Heartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Cars. Released in 1984, it was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Picking up a positive commercial response, the Cars had many tracks getting airplay, and singles "Drive" and "You Might Think" in particular both became Top 10 hits. The album also received supportive reviews from several critics; for example, Robert Christgau stated that "the glossy approach the Cars invented has made this the best year for pure pop in damn near twenty, and it's only fair that they should return so confidently to form." Background Heartbeat City contains a total of five American Top 40 singles. Of these, "Drive" and "You Might Think" were also Top 10 hits, reaching the No. 3 and No. 7 positions, respectively. A number of songs from the album gained significant radio and TV exposure; most notably "You Might Think" and "Magic", which both received heavy airplay on MTV. The lead vocal on "Drive" was performed by bassist Benjamin Orr. The song's video was directed by actor Timothy Hutton. It features Ric Ocasek arguing with a troubled young woman played by model Paulina Porizkova (whom Ocasek would later marry). "Hello Again" had a video directed by the legendary Andy Warhol, who also appeared onscreen. The single "It's Not the Night" reached No. 31 on the rock charts. The song "Stranger Eyes" was used in the theatrical trailer of the 1986 film Top Gun, but it never made it into the soundtrack. "Looking for Love" was later covered by Austrian singer Falco as "Munich Girls" on his 1985 album Falco 3. When the Cars performed at Live Aid, they played three songs from the album ("You Might Think", "Drive", plus the album's title track) alongside the fan favorite "Just What I Needed". The album was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. His commitment to the Cars album meant that he told Def Leppard he could not work on their album, Hysteria. However, due to delays in that album's recording, Lange was eventually able to produce it. Artwork The cover art (including an image of a 1971 Plymouth Duster 340) is from a 1972 piece by Peter Phillips called Art-O-Matic Loop di Loop. Track listing | extra10 = Ocasek | length10 = 4:31 }} Personnel The Cars *Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, synthesizer, lead vocals on 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10 *Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals *Greg Hawkes – keyboards, Fairlight programming, backing vocals *Benjamin Orr – bass, lead vocals on 4, 5, 7 *David Robinson – drums, percussion, Fairlight programming Additional musicians *Andy Topeka: Additional Fairlight programming Production *Arranged by The Cars *Produced by The Cars & Robert John "Mutt" Lange *Recorded & Engineered by Nigel Green *Mixed by Mike Shipley *Mastered by George Marino Charts Album Singles Certifications Reissues See also *1984 in music *The Cars discography *''Shake It Up'' References External links *"Heartbeat City" at discogs Category:1984 albums Category:The Cars albums Category:Albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange Category:Elektra Records albums Category:English-language albums